Cat Undercarriage Management Guide Page 5

Management Guide

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Packing

During operation, materials can

stick to and pack between mating

components such as rollers, links,

sprocket teeth, and bushings. Packing

prevents parts from engaging

correctly. This can cause higher loads

and increased wear rates. Packing is

inevitable in many applications;

however, there are things you can

do to reduce the effects of packing.

• Use center punched shoes in certain

situations to help relieve extrudable

materials such as wet sand, clay,

or snow.

• Clean out your undercarriage as

often as possible. Garbage, twigs,

stones, and demolition debris

cannot be extruded through the

center punched shoes.

• Use roller guards only when

necessary because they may trap

debris and increase the effects of

packing. They are designed

primarily for use in high-impact

underfoot conditions.

Terrain

Most of the time you can’t control the

terrain you are working in. However,

it is important to understand how

contours and slopes affect

undercarriage wear.

Working uphill shifts the weight and

load balance to the rear, causing

higher wear on rear rollers and

increasing forward drive side sprocket

and bushing wear.

Working downhill shifts weight and

load balance forward causing a

relatively higher wear rate on front

track rollers and idlers.

Working on a side hill shifts the

weight and load balance to the

downhill side of the machine. This

increases the wear rate on the

components and parts on the sides

that are on the upper side of the hill.

Working on a crown shifts the load

to the inboard components, increasing

wear on inner links, inner roller, idler

treads, and grouser ends.

Working in a depression shifts the

load to the outboard components,

increasing wear on outer links, outer

roller, idler treads, and grouser ends.

Contents Summary of Cat Undercarriage Management Guide

Page 1Cat Undercarriage ® Management Guide Caterpillar. The difference counts.™ Undercarriage System Management • Operating and Maintenance Tips • Track Adjustment Procedures • Hardware Requirements
Page 2Contents Introduction.............................................................................................................................3 Operating and Maintenance Tips ........................................................................................4-7 Custom Track Service Factors
Page 3Introduction Work it hard. Make it last. Fix it right. Caterpillar® Undercarriage is designed to work and wear as a system to reduce your operating costs. You make daily decisions that impact undercarriage wear and costs. This guide can help you and your operators understand how undercarriage works
Page 4Operating and Maintenance Tips Custom Track Service Factors Affecting Wear Your undercarriage is an expensive While there is no substitute for Application investment. It accounts for as much Custom Track Service, you also play Application describes what your as 20 percent of the price of a new an im
Page 5Packing Terrain During operation, materials can Most of the time you can’t control the Working on a side hill shifts the stick to and pack between mating terrain you are working in. However, weight and load balance to the components such as rollers, links, it is important to understand how downhill
Page 6Operating and Maintenance Tips Factors Affecting Wear Control the operation of your machine One of the best ways to protect your machine against unnecessary wear is to make sure it is used properly. All of the following cause additional wear on the components of your Always use the narrowest shoe po
Page 7Be sure your track is always properly adjusted Operating Checklist Every application affects Improperly adjusted track can result undercarriage wear differently and in problems and wear on other requires proper track adjustment. components such as: Adjust your track in the underfoot ❏ 1. Always use
Page 8Track Adjustment Procedures Elevated Sprocket Tractors Incorrectly adjusted track can cost 1. Move the tractor forward and let it 1 you money both in accelerated coast to a stop without applying the undercarriage wear and downtime. brakes. Make sure slack is between If the track is too tight, damagi
Page 9Chart 1 Chart 3 Proper Track Sag Track Roller Frame Extension Specifications Machines without carrier rollers Machines with and without carrier rollers Max. Length of Inches Millimeters Exposed Tube Model Min Target Max Min Target Max Model (Serial Number Range) Inches Millimeters D11R, D11N, D10 6.
Page 10Track Adjustment Procedures Low Sprocket Tractors and Loaders 1. Move the machine forward and let On machines with more than one 1 it coast to a stop without applying the carrier roller per side, mark the track brakes. Then park the machine and roller frame .5 inch or 13 millimeters turn off the eng
Page 11Hydrostatic Loaders 1. Move the machine forward and let 5. Open the relief valve and let the 1 it slowly come to a stop. Then park idler drift back until the second mark the machine and turn off the engine. is behind the recoil housing. Then Place a tight line over the grouser close the relief valve
Page 12Track Adjustment Procedures Hydraulic Excavators 1. Operate the machine in the direction 4. If the track is too tight, loosen it by 1 of the idlers. opening the relief valve and allowing 2. Stop with one track pin directly over grease to escape. the front carrier roller. Park the 5. Tighten track by
Page 13Hardware Requirements Track Roller and Idler Caps Inadequate clamping of the track roller 3. Snug both bolts evenly prior to and idler caps can result in broken torquing. retaining bolts and damage to the 4. Tighten the bolts to the specified frame or bogie bore. torque shown in the charts below. To
Page 14Hardware Requirements Shoe and Link Split Master Link The number one cause of shoe 3. Tighten the bolts to the specified The importance of correctly loosening is improperly tightened shoe initial torque shown in the chart below. assembling and torquing cannot hardware. In general, track hardware 4.
Page 15Notes 15
Page 16Expect More from the Experts When you buy a Cat undercarriage system, you get the support of our parts and service representatives who have tools to help you manage your undercarriage system. Custom Track Service (CTS) is the best way to control costs and downtime. While there is no substitute for C